For the first time in history, the World Cup final will feature a half-time show, and UK fans have weighed in on who they’d love to see perform.
Inspired by the iconic Super Bowl half-time performances, the concept aims to bring more spectacle and entertainment to football’s biggest night, set to take place in New Jersey next July.
Brits have shared their thoughts on the big event, listing a mix of popular artists and legendary bands as some of their preferred options for the half-time show.
The final decision is expected to involve creative input from Coldplay’s frontman, Chris Martin, who is helping FIFA curate the line-up for the show.
Some of the most requested performers include Ed Sheeran, Fleetwood Mac, and Coldplay themselves. Other top contenders include Taylor Swift and Oasis, while Lady Gaga also garnered strong support, narrowly missing out on a spot in the top five.
Louise Care from research agency OnePoll, which conducted the survey, said: “Coldplay are putting the event together [but] will they be able to resist taking to the stage themselves?”.
“They scored highly among the artists people would like to see play the show, so there is goodwill towards them taking on this honour.”
“There’s still plenty of time for these decisions to be made, and time will tell whether a World Cup half-time show grows to rival the pop culture relevance of its American football counterpart.”
Meanwhile, 11% of those surveyed expressed interest in seeing Eminem headline the show, closely followed by superstar Beyonce who received 10% of the votes.
Rock legend Rod Stewart was chosen by 8% of respondents, with Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys also making the list. While rock music was the preferred genre for 41% of participants, the majority favoured some lively pop tunes.
A fifth would opt for hip hop or rap, reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar’s headline-grabbing performance at this year’s Superbowl.
To enhance the appeal, 31% suggested incorporating a tribute to football history. However, 43% would be content with a fireworks or lights display.
Louise commented: “There have long been big music displays kicking off these international tournaments. But the idea of putting one on at half time is quite a new idea, when it comes to football.
“As they’ve only got 15 minutes to spare between halves, here’s hoping Coldplay picks someone with short songs.”
